What are the Signs and Symptoms of Osteoporosis? Research (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Medicine and Health
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What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a medical condition characterized by bones becoming fragile and weak leading to increased susceptibility to bone fracture occurrence. Decrease in bone density is bound to happen at the age of 35 years. And according to research, weakness of bones occurs more rapidly in women during or after menopause. Again the disease is cited to also affect the older adults resulting to height reduction.
In most cases, the osteoporosis patients show no symptoms of the disease until the occurrence of bone fractures. Osteoporosis as a disease is features a decrease in the bone density, consequentially bone lacks strength and are exposed to probable risks of fracturing. Due to weak bones, a minor or simple fall can actually lead to fracturing. Literally, the abnormal porousness of bones becomes compressible like a sponge.
Normally, the constituents of bones include proteins collagen, and calcium which provides strength to the bones. Although it is possible for all bones to be affected by the disease some are more prone to fracturing or breaking. The hip, spine and wrist bones ae mostly affected by fractures or breakages. To the elderly, fracturing of the hip could lead to fatal complications. Prolonged immobility to could be the result.
Statistically, the prevalence of osteoporosis has been recorded. Globally, 200 million cases of bone fracture due osteoporosis has been reported. This report translates to each case occurring after every 3 seconds (AAOS, 2015). In the United States alone the number stands at 10 million cases among adults with another 18 million at risk of disease development. However, women have recorded to be major victims of the disease and are mostly affected after menopause.
What are the signs and symptoms of Osteoporosis?
Since osteoporosis is most prevalent at old age, it is possible to live for decades without any evident symptoms until in the event of a fracture. Hence osteoporosis has been considered as a silent disease no symptoms can be identified and cited as signs for the disease. Commonly, osteoporosis symptoms include;
* Fracture or bone breakage.
Bone fracture mainly from a simple fall could signal for symptoms of osteoporosis. In more serious cases of the disease coughing or sneezing strongly could cause fracturing of bones as there very weak.
* Pain on the neck and back
In case one notices frequent pains in their necks and backs it ought to cause an alarm to probable occurrence of osteoporosis. This is because the disease could cause depression and loss fracture in the spine resulting to pain. Compressions fractures in the spine could be painful due to pinching of nerves by the collapsed vertebrae.
* Loss of height is a symptom of osteoporosis caused by compression fractures. It is one of the most noticeable signs that an individual could be suffering from the disease.
* Having a stooped posture.
This is slight curving on the upper back due to vertebrae compression. The condition is also known as Kyphosis, though it is referred to as dowager’s hump. Breathing is affected and it results to back and neck pain.
The human skeleton is made up bones which holds the tissues into forming a body. A skeleton has a series of four major bone types which include the long bones, flat bones, short bones and irregular bones. Human development mainly depends on the structure of bones. The skeleton has various functions in ensure better health development.
During human growth, the bones undergo formation, radial and longitudinal growth. During the human life there is modelling and remodeling of bones. In the modelling process the bone are exposed to changes due to physiological factors. Large and small bones are formed during the process. Large bones are stronger compared to smaller ones...